Maplehurst Elementary honored for 'stellar job' with improving scores

The school recently received an All A Award from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). Norwalk City Schools Superintendent George Fisk presented Principal Ken Moore and the Maplehurst staff members with a banner celebrating their achievement during Tuesday’s school board meeting.

“You do a stellar job,” Fisk said.

The All A Award is in its fourth year. State school board president Tess Elshoff, in a Dec. 17 letter to Moore about the award, said it’s “the state board’s way of recognizing schools that received A’s on every component of school performance on their Ohio school report cards.”

“As an All A Award winner, Maplehurst Elementary School’s report card shows your school is committed to its students’ success by ensuring high academic performance for students of every background and ability level. I also congratulate you on recruiting and motivating the high-quality leaders and staff needed to make this happen,” Elshoff wrote.

The state school board president also said it’s the clear the Maplehurst “education team has clearly embraced” the challenge in the ODE plan “to ensure each student is challenged, prepared and empowered for his or her future by way of an excellent pre-kindergarten through grade 12 education.”

Moore told the local board members his staff members “do a lot” for students to get reading scores back on track.

“We are one of 57 schools in Ohio to receive this award,” the principal added.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the June 1 retirement of Norwalk Middle School math teacher Lori Logan, who was hired by the district originally for the 2004-’05 academic year. Logan, who came from Evergreen Local Schools in northwest Ohio, has requested to be rehired for the 2019-20 school year. Fisk said rehiring Logan means the district would maintain a high-quality educator for a significant savings.

• Approved students’ participation in a Sunday event, the rescheduled Teen Leadership Corps dance marathon. It will begin the night of March 30 and end March 31.

The event had to be rescheduled due to the boys’ basketball tournament games. The new date for the dance marathon coincides with the 18th annual Celebration of the Arts. However, Fisk said the participating students will fulfill their obligations to the gala and then go to the marathon.